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iPhone 4S owners "chewing through data"

By Stewart Mitchell

Posted on 6 Jan 2012 at 09:34

Apple's iPhone 4S users consume twice as much data as owners of the the previous iPhone and even more than iPad tablets, according to research.

Data-use figures released by network management company Arieso reveal that increased use of services such as the iPhone 4S's Siri personal assistant are putting further strain on networks.

The research found that iPhone 4S users demanded three times as much data as iPhone 3G users and twice as much as iPhone 4 users, who were identified as the most demanding in a similar 2010 study.

"The introduction of increasingly sophisticated devices, coupled with growing consumer demand, is creating unrelenting pressure on mobile networks. And it looks set to only get harder in 2012,” said Michael Flanagan, Arieso CTO.

Despite the focus on Apple, the report showed that Android phones were equally active.

The report highlighted Google Nexus One users as being the biggest uploaders, followed by Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i and HTC Desire owners.

The researchers claimed the figures highlighted carriers' need to better understand the impact of different handsets on their networks.

“While the report provides general trends, the studies on which they’re based demonstrate the importance to operators of understanding the increased consumption each type of smartphone brings," Flanagan said.

"Despite stark industry warnings, mobile operators are still playing ‘Guess Who?’ with their subscribers.”

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User comments

I got an iPhone 4S in October and last month I got my first ever email from o2 telling me I was 80% through my data usage allowance for the month. Luckily I only had 3 days to go so was OK.

If mobile phone manufacturers are going to make these devices and telco's are going to sell them then they cannot complain that we use them!

The telco's need up their game and provide more robust networks which can cope with higher and faster usage. With my iPhone now acting as a hotspot for my iPad and Sky Go now working over 3G I require even more data that previously but am throttled by the mobile network. Surely they should be working towards unlimited data packages? Oh, and I do mean unlimited in the inifinite sense of the word.

By clkenton on 6 Jan 2012

The research found that iPhone 4S users demanded three times as much data as iPhone 3G users

Probably searching for details of the HTC Zeta in preparation for jumping ship.

By Lacrobat on 6 Jan 2012

The Solution is Simple....

Do what every company in the world does when the system is strained. Increase the price of data traffic and squeese out the people who can't afford to use it onto onler systems. Just like the government is doing with car users, and the rail networks are doing with commuters.

Price highly and create a two teir network. Those who can afford a premium service all day, and those who can only afford to use their data at low peek times.

By mbassoc on 6 Jan 2012

Bought a 4S for the Missus. Three's offer was £99 for the phone plus 3000 any network minutes, 5000 texts and infinite data with no cap for £35 a month.

The other networks had a pathetic 500MB cap... for a phone that offers BBC iPlayer, 4oD etc. Seems there's only one network suited to heavy data use.

By Mark_Thompson on 6 Jan 2012

Another news story...

..and another pointless post by Lacrobat.

By russell_g on 6 Jan 2012

Congradulations to Mark Thompson

... You have now connected your wife to the worst phone network in the UK. She must be really special. :)

By mbassoc on 7 Jan 2012

@ mbassoc

:)

I've been with Three for about seven years and back then they were rubbish. They're now up there with the rest with 99% of the population (probably because they share 2G connections with Orange).

3G-wise they claim 97% population coverage; the best figure I've found from the rest is 93%, which in ground coverage terms means they're w-a-y behind.

By Mark_Thompson on 8 Jan 2012

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